Conway in position for $25k toward dog park

Silent sponsor will match winnings, group says

Conway is in the No. 1 spot to win $25,000 toward a dog park in an online voting contest.

The group promoting the contest says they have a silent sponsor who has committed to matching the amount if the city wins.

Judi Standridge, Humane Society of Faulkner County volunteer, said, “We will have a dog park if we win this.”

The grand prize of $100,000 looks to belong to Texarkana, Texas. Texarkana, Arkansas won the grand prize last year in the Bark For Your Park competition hosted by PetSafe, a pet accessories brand.

Land for the park has been secured at Don Owen Sports Complex, and the competition is not tied to local tax money.

Winnings would be put toward fencing, dog waste stations and benches.

The nearest dog parks are in Little Rock. A second opened in the city in March at MacArthur Park. The first was at Murray Park.

Standridge said when she visits parks in Little Rock, she encounters Faulkner County pet owners who traveled to the park to let their dogs off their leashes in a safe, enclosed area for play and socialization.

Conway’s park would have separate areas for large and small dogs, she said.